According to new research, people with depression are not getting the right treatment, and here is why this is considered an unhealthy move before the professionals. Depression is being handled in more significant numbers than ever before. Unfortunately, it is possible that they are not the people who need help.
As per a recent report released in J.A.M.A. Internal Medicine on August 29, 2016, 8.4 per cent of the total of 46,417 individuals tested positive as People with Depression. Despite this, only 28.7 per cent of the 3,899 People got any medication for this mental health condition. That indicates the remaining 42,318 People with Depression were not facilitated for the treatment of their mental health disorder. Many People might have tried to self-medicate their anxiety disorder with medications and became addicted to it, creating a co-occurring condition with an addiction as a result.
Co-occurring drug use and mental health problems must be handled jointly by trained physicians and recovery professionals in comprehensive health care settings. Sad to say, this does not occur as often as it should. There can be reasons behind this, but the cause can be any; still, it is important to cure this disorder at the right time and get the aid of the right professional.
The Majority of People Who are Prescribed Antidepressants are not Depressed
The majority of people who are prescribed antidepressants aren’t the “People with Depression” but still, they are prescribed with antidepressants. Why is it so? Just 30% of people hospitalized for depression disorder had a supportive depression disorder test, as per the report. That suggests most of them were probably treated for depression-like symptoms when the real issue was probably a drug addiction problem or another health issue.
The writers, supervised by Dr Mark Olfson of Columbia University, stated, “Antidepressants have been the most commonly prescribed form of medication in the U.S.A. for the past few decades and has been a significant increase in prescribing of antidepressants from physicians to People with Depression with symptoms of depressive disorder or depression-like symptoms.”
After reviewing documented information from the years 2012-13 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, Olfson and colleagues came up with their conclusions known as Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (M.E.P.S.). According to its website, “the medical Expenditure Panel Surveys” is the greatest comprehensive collection data, including estimated costs, including hospital use and health insurance coverage.
The responses of People with Depression to the survey questions were used to make a depression diagnosis. The implicit bias that could result from self-reporting is one of the survey’s limitations. People with Depression disorder attempt to reduce anxiety by self-medicating with alcohol, antidepressants, and stimulants (including drugs like heroin or methamphetamine), opioids, or cannabis. Any of this extravagant spending has its collection of risks that can lead to the substance of alcohol abuse. Not only does the anxiety go unnoticed, but it also causes additional potential issues.
These Substances Like Alcohol, Marijuana and Pain Killers, Would Not Help You Against Depression
They would not help your depression disorder the drugs like Alcohol, Marijuana, and Painkillers. When People with Depression disorder take antidepressants and consume alcohol while taking drugs, the beverages inhibit the antidepressant’s medicinal impact. Even though beer can make you feel better for a short time, the consequences in the long run of drug addiction to bear are not encouraging for anybody who is depressed. Indeed, studies have found that having one condition (depression or substance abuse) doubles the chance of having the other. We say the co-occurring condition of mental health disorder and addiction like alcohol addiction or substance abuse.
Marijuana acts similarly. A small amount of marijuana has been shown to have no adverse effects on the health and the way of living of the individuals who use it to relieve symptoms of depressive disorder. Still, too much can intensify the symptoms of depressive disorder, especially in women. Opioids are used to treat acute pain, not a mental illness like depression disorder. They have proved to be so powerfully addictive that they have triggered a national emergency. Most physicians only administer opiates as a final option for People who are in unbearable and severe pain.
WHO released some facts and figures relating to People with Depression disorders. WHO says these listed disorders are the major disorders that cause the inability and even end of life, which are Schizophrenia Disorder, Alcohol Addiction, Depression, and Bipolar Disorder
Despite the danger lying ahead because of mental disorders, including drug abuse, isolation, unemployment for a long time, the break-up of relationships, self-destruction, and other related causes, they do not get the help they need. However, they need to seek psychiatric diagnosis, which can save them from the future dangerous and harmful effects. Often, anxiety, rejection, and other related conditions do not allow patients who are currently suffering from mental illnesses to seek help from a psychiatrist. But receiving a medical remedy for a psychiatric disorder is as essential as receiving a cure for other ailments like cancer, diabetes, fever, high B.P., etc. As mentioned above, “Mental health can mean a lot for you. To some physicians, mental health is more critical than physical health. Having a physical illness or even disability can not stop you from getting a future according to your future needs like job, money, occupation, desired family, relationships, enjoying tours, and even earning popularity.
On the other hand, if you are physically fit and have a mental disorder, all of the above can go away from you.” So, being concerned about your mental health is need for the hour. You need to seek help from a psychiatrist, followed by proper strategies, rules, and guidance.
Effective Results of Integrated Mental Health Services
Sad to say, even a typical mental disorder like depression is viewed negatively in our culture, and often people feel embarrassed to seek treatment. It is much better to treat depression disorder if it is diagnosed early. It will become an even more complex mental health issue if it is allowed to grow, especially if co-occurring drug abuse disorders are also ignored for too long.
The research reveals that 73.3 per cent of the population caring for depression disorder sought care from general healthcare professionals, owing to the stigma attached with consulting a doctor and/or drug counsellor. Deny the reality that “prior study has found that, as opposed to mentally unstable primary care patients like People with Depression disorder who received traditional treatment, the patients who already received integrated mental health treatment appear to experience more beneficial anxiety results,” according to the researchers.
Integrated treatment is a treatment method for patients diagnosed with two or more mental health disorders and/ or substance addictions. This is called a co-occurring state with victims. When treating the co-occurring condition, you need to focus more on the patient as a professional. So, treatment of co-occurring state becomes more complicated when the patient newly comes to you. You need some time to understand the condition of the patient and the diagnosed mental health disorders properly. So, when you have managed to understand the patient’s state precisely and professionally, now it is time to take over the patient with the strategies and therapy or other medical treatments.
The United States Department of Health & Human Care’ against Substance Addiction and Psychological Health Services Management (SAMHSA) advocates integrated treatment for individuals with co-occurring conditions as a more reliable, tailored solution. The United States Psychiatric Association, like the United States Psychological Association, frequently advocates integrated rehabilitation. In practice, instead of addressing each illness individually, this structured approach to wellbeing, which incorporate therapy and treatments in mental health and opioid addiction, seems to have become the standard method.
Cognitive behaviour therapy (C.B.T.), emergency management, motivational interviews and re-occurrence avoidance are the most effective tailored techniques for individuals with co-occurring illnesses. There is no correct recommended treatment; co-occurring disorders need a customized solution of individualized approach with these several comprehensive and fundamental features: Both psychiatric and alcohol disorders must be dealt with, and the different interests of People with Depression must be addressed correctly and on time. Any required prescription should be included, and the victim should take care of prescribed medicines like no other individual in the family or inmates have access to them. Care must accept that many people who live with dependency on drugs have mental health challenges too. The treatment strategy needs to be evaluated on a regular basis such that the proper treatment is provided and the right schedule changes as needs or objectives change with the passage of time.
Antidepressants Are Not a Simple Remedy of their Own
Depression disorder may also be managed without the use of drugs. Many People have found that physical training, such as yoga and other physical activities, is beneficial. Others benefit from talk therapy or cognitive behavioural therapy, which is commonly used in combination with medicine.
According to the scientists, researchers have discovered that antidepressants are no longer efficient than an inactive substance that is only used for the treatment of mental illness(such as sugar pill) for People with Depression with a low level of anxiety disorder.
The result revealed from the conclusion of the study, “It is critical to align People with Depression with effective treatments and healthcare professionals. For the People with Depression treatment is it crucial to make connections with health care providers at right time.” “Alternative solutions exist to support anxiety treatment which is not much expensive nor inadequate for People thorough health needs, that is due to the widespread adoption of integrated patient care for people with depression.”
References
- http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2546155
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (M.E.P.S.). Retrieved September 3, 2016, from https://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/
- Boden, J. et al. (2011, March 7). Alcohol and Depression. Addiction. Retrieved September 3, 2016, from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03351.x/full
- Aspis, I. et al. (2015, September 10). Cannabis use and quality of life among People with Depression disorders. Psychiatry Research. Retrieved September 3, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26388103
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